Saturday

No, not the TV show, but 24 hours with 6 Border Collies. I only hope you have enough time to read it all, and this was a dull day.

10 pm - Dutchess, Clancy and Annie are all in for the night. Dutchess is restless, because she wants to play, she keeps going to the drawer where we have the tennis balls, and 3 dogs playing in the house is impossible, one is OK. Everyone settles down and goes to sleep, Annie's on my lap, Dutchess on the floor and Clancy in the recliner. Bedtime, I go to the kennel and check on the pups, 1,2,3,4, and 5 yep, there all here.

6:30 am – I get up and fix coffee, turn the pot off, Elaine won’t be up for hours, save energy. Let all the dogs out of the house and they start running as soon as they hit the door, off they go. Back to the kennel, to feed and count. 1,2,3,4, and 5, yep all here. Lots of little barks, their hungry, food now!! Change water and feed, happy pups.

7:00 am - let them all out even Dutchess with a hurt paw, she’s better but I don’t want to push it. I tell her not to run (sure), never heard a word. Meg and Abbie run and make 100 trips around the property without even stopping, barking along the way and even jumping in the lake.

7:30 am - working on a fence, Annie helps by rearranging my tools. I blow the leaves on the ground. Annie wants to play again with the blower, found the glove that Annie got out of the garage two days ago, now I have a pair again, plus a hole.

8:30 am - cut the grass and leaves. Abbie finds and brings a tennis ball and places it in front of the riding mower. You would be surprised how far the riding mower will send it. Off they go to find it.

9:30 am – Move the big tractor and yard equipment around for winter, the dogs want to play and bring another tennis ball and drop it at my feet. We play just a little.

10:00 am – Puppy check, all here. They are getting big and barking and scampering all over the place. Elaine’s up, she comes out to help clean up the yard for winter.

10:30 am – We take a walk with all the dogs through the woods. We stop at the second lake and plan a cabin. While sitting, enjoying the weather, Annie finds something to roll in, you guessed it, “Poop” Just like Meg, ( http://activitythisweek.blogspot.com/2011/03/poor-poor-meg.html) she seemed to enjoy it, and this was her first roll. “Tonight you’re in the kennel”

11:30 am – I cut kenneling for the fireplace, and for every piece I cut, Annie takes one and runs off with it. I find kenneling all over the place.

12:30 pm – Lunchtime, feed the pups and then myself. Annie comes in and brings a piece of kenneling in with her, her contribution to the lunch. I don’t care for it, but she is pleased.

1:30 pm – I wash the 4 wheeler and all the dogs stand around it thinking we are going for a ride and a run. Annie carries off the brush and rag, something else to find.. 2:30 pm – Nap time, Molly and Clancy think so too. We watch some mundane TV, so we don’t miss anything good. Molly is in my lap and Clancy climbs in too. I will tell you, I had a lap full of dogs with both of them.

5:30 pm - Supper time, everyone out…

6:30 pm – Everyone back in, time to check emails, few request for pups are answered. It’s hard to write when you have two dogs lifting your elbows for attention on each side. I stop trying to work and rub their heads.

7:30 pm – Back to the kennel, everyone up, it’s dark and there is nothing but trouble out there. Clancy is always out and when Dutchess and Abbie are finished with their supper, there back in the house, it's their turn.

8:00 pm – Hot tub time, Elaine is busy so I’m solo in the tub, or so I thought. Dutchess is on the rail in a second, but she just wants to give me sugar.

8:30 pm – Go in with Dutchess. She goes straight to the kitchen and starts to counter surf. She pulls a bowl of kibble on to the floor that was Annie's, no problem, she quickly cleans it up.

9:30 pm – Relax time, TV and lap time for the dogs. Abbie on my lap, Dutchess on the floor, good dogs…10:00 pm - Go back to the kennel to count 1,2,3,4 and 5. All here. Lots of sad faces, Open all doors, everyone in, but the pups. Bath time for Annie. She's all clean. Back to the recliner. Meg craws in my lap and Molly follows too, Annie got a rawhide on the floor. we all fall asleep.

Bed time and it was a great day to reflect on. Abbie jumps in bed and snuggles up close to me and puts her head on the pillow. Sweet Dreams…

Even as I write this, again so common, but always appreciated, Abbie puts her head in my lap and looks into my eyes and I see the contentment and peace. There all the best.....Life is Good.........

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
Josh Billings

The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made his greatest gift the commonest. Martin Luther

Sunday

Elaine said it, and I guess it was true. It was a dark day. Let me explain. A lot of things have been going on in my life, nothing bad, but just a lot of things and I am really busier now than when I worked. I sometimes forget to take time for myself, but the dogs seem to bring me back to center.

I was in the house when she told me and I thought “yeah, she’s right”. I started think about it, but in the meantime, Dutchess was in the house too because she has hurt her foot again and I was keeping her off of it, keeping her quite. I was playing the piano and she was next to me. I range from classical to country but I ended with “Cattle Call”, which I like. Dutchess seemed to enjoy it and so I got in the floor and started singing and yodeling, just like LeAnn Rimes would do. Dutchess loved it and we had a hoot doing it, even Elaine jumped in. Dutchess flipped over on her back and she was kicking her feet in the air and was wiggling all over the floor. We all laughed. I tried to get Dutchess to sing with me, and I will tell you, she tried. She would try to pucker and shape her face like me.

I started thinking about how the dogs cheer us up. Here are a few quotes I like;

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.

Roger Caras

No one can fully understand the meaning of love unless he's owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes.

I can't think of anything that brings me closer to tears than when my old dog — completely exhausted after a hard day in the field — limps away from her nice spot in front of the fire and comes over to where I'm sitting and puts her head in my lap, a paw over my knee, and closes her eyes, and goes back to sleep. I don't know what I've done to deserve that kind of friend.

Gene Hill

Just two nights ago, I was building a fire in the family room fireplace and Molly was lying on her blanket in the corner across the room and when I got on my knees, she got up from her sleep and came to me and sat down next to me and she also put her paw on my leg and gave me a kiss. What a girl.

Dogs can be pretty amazing and will bring your spirits up. The biggest problem is when I go to the kennel after I have fed them and I will bring two of them in for the night. When those sad eyes look at you, it’s hard to say no to anyone, and yes, sometimes I get in trouble for bringing too many in for the night.

For me the best part of having pups is seeing other people happy. I LOVE updates when they come in and I enjoy seeing the dogs all grown up in their photos. My dogs bring a lot of happiness to me and Elaine and I know they do the same for you. Give your best friend a hug, Life Is Good. Ken

Friday

Well it is...Elaine and I have had a hot tub most of our married life. It has always been very relaxing but now it seems to be a necessity for us or at least for me, with my aches and pains. So, we fired it up in September. Today was a busy day here on the farm, I went to town and got a truckload of mulch and spread it. I have also been splitting firewood for a few days so I'm sore and a little chilled. I got chilled from playing with the dogs and of course, they just had to get in the water and they ALWAYS shake off next to me, getting me and anyone close to them wet; of course, I just happened to be taking photo's of them playing.

IDEA.....I'll get in the hot tub. For the followers of this blog, you know that Dutchess was the center of attention on a hot tub episode a year or so ago. Well there is a new dog in the spotlight. We have a boarder that is staying with us for the weekend. His name is "Scout", and he is the son of Meg and Clancy. Just look at those eyes...."trouble", with a capital "T"

﻿All in all we had a blast, it was a great day. You can't make this stuff up, it just happens. These dogs are the most animated creatures that I have ever seen, they make life worth living, I love them so....

After we all dried off, we ate supper and cuddled for a little while, and then it was off to bed for a good night of sleep and dreams of chasing bunnies and catching Frisbies, because we never know what adventures will come tomorrow...

As I walked away from tucking them in bed, I could hear them say...."Goodnight Dutchess", "Goodnight Abbie", "Goodnight Clancy", "Goodnight Molly", "Goodnight Meggie", "Goodnight Possum", said Scout, "Goodnight Scout" said Possum, "I told you not to jump in,...I still think he was lost"......and as I walked away, I said to myself, "Goodnight Shepp, wherever you are". Dad

Wednesday

Well we're just about over the "season" time (thank you Jesus) and I will tell you it has been a struggle, especially with two of the girls making them selves available... and again I will tell you it has been a struggle. While they were put up, I got some alone time with Clancy (just to keep him occupied), Annie and Abbie. Dutchess was up because she was with pups. Clancy was being very comical and appeared to be in a giddy mood and I can't figure out why (not). We would play ball and they would try to out do each other and run and bump into each other. I do miss the girls and I know they don't understand. I will look forward to everyone being able to get together and play as a pack again.

I don't know who's mouth is bigger. For such a little girl (and Abbie is the smallest) she can open her mouth wider that any dog that I have ever seen, but I think Annie will give her a run for her money. Annie has the mouth of a little alligator and she likes to use it, but it better not be on me....

Stink Pot, Possum, I mean Annie is getting ready to learn a very valuable lesson. She hasn't learned to play ball or Frisbee yet, and when she runs with the big dogs she will grab the fur of the big dogs on the side of their neck and just let them pull her along. It will happen very quick, one of the adult dog will have enough and will put the wrath of fear into her and that will be that, Good luck Annie, I hope you learn the lesson the first time.

This is Jessee, she is one of our pups that lives in Louisville. She is a very sweet girl and I was talking with her owner and she happen to say she takes her everywhere and even to Lowe's. I said really, do they mind? "Never", was her response. I said "no way" so she proved me wrong. She said she sits in the basket and just takes everything in. Too Cool.... Where do you take your dog?...Comments..

Monday

Sorry for the tardiness. I have been going to Louisville to help my son build a huge outside deck, so my weekends have been a little busy. I nominally write the blog on Sundays, but have been away for the last two. The good part, I get to see my Granddaughter "Maddie Bear". I have been taking Clancy because two of my dogs, Molly and Meg are in “season” and I don’t want winter pups.

He is so determined to become their best friend, if you get my drift. I remember when we bought Meg; the man we purchased her from was a custom welder. He had a large steel cage that was about the size of a pick-up truck bed. I ask what it was for and said it was to keep his male dog in when his female was in “season”. I said “isn’t that a little over kill? He said he didn’t think so and we went on to other topics. After seeing both of my male and female dogs work to try to get together during this time, I can tell you…..I have ordered one…

Off to Louisville we went. Me and Clancy tooling down the interstate, I would listen to the radio, if it worked, but we were having fun. I worked my guts out and on the return trip, I was tired and going a little fast trying to get back home to the hot tub and my recliner because I was sore and starting to get chilled.

BANG ... was all I heard and then, jerk to the right and then to the left and back again. A blow-out at 80 miles an hour is scary. I shouted to Clancy, “Hold on” or something like that, (it could have been something a little bolder). After much work at the wheel we got her pulled over to the side. I just sat for a few minutes and it all passed before me.

Clancy was concerned, I could see it. He then put his head on my lap as if saying, it’s OK, we made it, and we did, but I was a little shaken. As we sat there, I thought everyone would rush to help us, but I was proven wrong. It was just us, with a ribbon of big steel trucks blowing past us so fast it would shake my truck. Well, I said to myself, “you won’t get it changed if you don’t get out”, so out I went. Clancy wanted out too, and I thought of a nightmare of him running next to the interstate into the traffic, so he stayed in the truck and that was final. My next thought, do I even have a spare? Where is it and do I have the tools to change it? Crap, I should have checked long ago. I had seen some tools behind the seat, let’s hope for the best.
Wouldn’t you know it? It was the tire NEXT to the road, so my butt will be in traffic trying to get it changed. I said to myself, “well if I go, it will be fast and quick and I’ll never know what happened", so I said a prayer and off to fix it I went… So far so good, I can make since of most of the tools and the jack, but I did something I usually don’t do, there were directions and I read them. Is their air in the spare tire? I kicked it and there was some, but it needed a little more. I hope it will do, it will have to. The whole time Clancy watched me work and struggle and there were times I had to get under the truck to get the jack positioned in just the right spot, but we did, and we were well on our way to getting home. You would have thought the big trucks would get in the other lane, but they didn’t. I didn’t look because I didn’t want to see anything coming if it did.
Changed, were done, it’s over; I threw all the tools and parts in the bed of the truck and got in.

﻿

Looks bad, but it got us home

﻿ We just sat for a minute. I prayed a prayer of thanks and Clancy licked my hand. On the road again. Let’s just hope we can get back in traffic without getting run over, which we did.

I will tell you, there is no place like home….

Maddie is doing well. She and Clancy had a great time this weekend and she can say “puppy” and “pap-paw” and hundreds of other words but I like these two the best. I love her so……